The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-10-05
An Eirnsst and Eloquent Discourse Upon
Passage to Another World.
The Real Meaning Of the Word Risen Is APP
piled in the Text Of His Sermon.
The Dead Have But Gone Before Us and
Church Filled By the Audience.

Ward Beecher in the Brooklyn Academy
Of Music Monday night, preached to-day
In Plymouth church, Brooklyn, in the
pulpit where his friend had stood for forty
years. His subject was, mot Here but
Rlsen." The sermon, which was delv-
cred without manuscript, was largely 8
memorial discourse. Toe sermon was in
substaD ce as follows:
We have not assembled under ordinary
col ditioEs. For nearly forty years this
particular Sunday, the first in October, has
been signaliZed by the temperance OF an
bonoIed and illustrious pastor. In a sense
full of mournful suggestiveness he sis not
here" We feel indeed that he is not here,
without any words being spoken 10 remind
us of the fact. We know Ii by the GOODNESS,
the loneliness and sense of desolation
which is upon rs all. In discoursing upon
the mortality of man, the preacher is apt
to be regarded as speaking only that which
is the veriest commonplace. To declare
that man is mortal, that death has taken
him out of our sight, that we must all die,
is to be condemned at once as speaking
truisms, trite and comparatively worth
less.
There are some men who have genius
for the degradation of all life to the level
of common place. They can soon run
through all the miracles of life. Are there
not some men who could walk through the
loveliest landscape and see nothing in it,
or who might see some what of beauty in
it during the first pilgrimage, but after
wards everything would be common,
familiar and disregsrded? What is true
Of a landscape is true of art. A hurried
pointing of the finger TO some masterpiece
and the whole miracle is gone forever.
What is true of the landscape and OF art
is true also of what we are accustomed to
regard as the miracles of holy scripture.
They soon cease to be miracles 10 those
who look upon everything with an eve
which does not see the trae unity sud
meaning of the universe. Having seen
one miracle we want to see another, and
having seen two we think we have seen all,
and unless miracles come upon us in.show-
ers, and thus cease to be miracles, our sur
prise lies unawaKened. Beyond this there
lies the possibility of outrunning even
what is known as the inspiration of the
Bible itself To many men. the Bible has
become book of common places or a
book of absurdity.
The .angel in the text is speaking of
Jesus Christ, and in declaring that he was
not in the grave he declared the Sabine
doctrine of the resurrection o. the dead.
Negation, even in its highest denial 1s only
| q gigantic cipher, an infinite emptiness.
This text begins negatively but ends posi-.
lively, ends indeed in tone of triumph.
| He is risen and therefore is more here than
ever-here in fuller personality, in richer
inhuerce, in tendsrer sympathy. That
which was local, limited, physical, dis
proportloDate cor burdensome is not
here, is forever done away,
and the immortal quality, the
| radiant sainsliness, the loyal spirituality,
are alive for evermore. To be here In any
| bodily and real sense is a greater wonder
than to have risen into some higher and
brighter sphere. To be here indeed is even
more q painful burden. 1t is felt to be so
heavy that men cry out, Whence came wei
| What are We? Whittier go we? What is this
burning, awful, fevered life, so full of
| ghostlint IS. so material, so abject, yet so
| august?
We know some what of the difficulties
| of incarnation at many points of life. Fol
| example, we know how perilous il often is
/ to admit too familiar intercourse with
| some men who have swayed us by their
| thoughts or thrown upon our whole life
/ the spell of their genius. So long as they
| stand far off, clothed with their spiritual
| house and working with their spiritual
| functions, we give them homage; but wheL
| they come near Us We may be dis
| appointed or surprised or annoyed, through
| some personal infirmity, some conceit Of
| manner, some eccentrieity of habit, and
we may come to regret the day that eve
| we saw in the flesh the men who by theil
genius enchanted and blessed our lives
So dangerous is incarnation. The spiri
always suffers through the flesh. Here and
row they can never be united, 30 as II
cease all controversy and live life OF ma
tual understanding and appreciation. In
carnation in every form and sense of tn,
term is an abiding difficulty. 1t is so. fo
| example, in the matter of the expression
of thought. Speaking Of Jesus Christ tn
angel said, HE is risen"
That is really all we want to know.
we carry that word up to It's highest signi
icance it will suffice at once, the reason
and the Imagination. 1t is the best wor'
| that can be chosen 1t points toward
definite direction, but 1t makes no attemp
| to localize and define. Who can measur
I and state in plain figures the slgni6canc
of this word "Risen2' The Bible is wou
| derful in its choice OF terms in describin
| the understandable.
''On the bases of these reflections we ar
entitled to establish two or three practice
| suggestions. For example, the only In
fiuence worthy of cultivation and enjoy
ment Is spiritual. That alone abldes fol
ever. We forget duty; We cease to n
member be..exsct amount of our wealth
pleasure Itself is vanished cloud; bu
thought, the mental energy that affect on
II
that flourish and inspire tn
soul-these are remembered with
clearer memory, and they seem to be mas
nifed day by day by larger recollection
| No man knows what he is really doinl
: We sit down In disappointment and say
THE end has come, death Is stronger tia
| llfe," while at the very moment God
working out some great miracle OF low
We say OF such and such q life, 1t ende
cloudily. il never came to perfection.
. failed almost at the last moment. W
: thus talk unwisely. Men shall come frol
8 the east and from the west, from the mort
Q and from the south, and shall testify thu
D the life which we thought was fruiIlel
|, abouDded in all the fruits OF the spiri
? Let us cheer ourselves with these word
!, | Lut us drink of this well by the way, an
/ lift up our hands and be glad.
: 1.-THE best testimony we can give to Il
? | influence of the dead is to continue an
extend the work in which they delightt
= whilst they were yet with Us. There is
4 be no mere gazing upon the heaven. The
q are to be no fruitless tears. In crying 4
D the absent we may in reality be ;ndulgil
2 our own selfishness."
b There is a SORROW that is not divine, al
q therefore not useful. The Lord is ris'
K Lord and we should know the pc wer
10 his resurrection in such degree as VIII
-e able rs to feel, that they who are dead
Is Christ are slive I'm Him evermore. I
d Lord, himself said Cali power 'sgiver no
9, me In Heaven and in earth. Go